# High-temperature batteries

Molten-electrode batteries that run hot.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hightemp_batt/

Storage · Electrochemical · No. 75

- Storage
- Duration: Hours
 Storage · Electrochemical · Foundation · Energy

These batteries only work when their sodium is molten at about 300 C, and they have run grids for two decades.

Chart: Illustration: High-temperature batteries

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Common sodium, sulphur and alumina are sealed in steel cells that run at 290 to 360 C, needing no lithium, cobalt or air conditioning.

##### Three things to know

1. Molten sodium passes through a solid ceramic to react with molten sulphur, so the cells need no lithium or cobalt.
2. A 2 MW sodium-sulphur battery caught fire at Tsukuba in 2011, halting operations until June 2012.
3. NGK, the main maker, decided on 31 Oct 2025 to stop making and selling sodium-sulphur batteries, at a charge of about JPY 18 billion.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Cheap materials**Sodium, sulphur, alumina, salt, some nickel
2. 2 **Ceramic tube**Beta-alumina lets only sodium ions through
3. 3 **Heated cell**Kept near 300 C for life
4. 4 **Container**1,450 kWh in a 21 t box
5. 5 **Grid service**Six-hour shifting, backup, peak shaving

##### Go deeper pick a tab to open it in full

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hightemp_batt/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hightemp_batt/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and technology](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hightemp_batt/sg-sci/index.md)
- [Engineering and performance](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hightemp_batt/sg-eng/index.md)
- [Economics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hightemp_batt/sg-econ/index.md)
- [Impact and additionality](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hightemp_batt/sg-impact/index.md)
- [What to track](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hightemp_batt/tracking/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hightemp_batt/links/index.md)